Ayiti: the Cost of Life

Ooh, wow, this game is really a hard one. But it's so much fun. :) Thanks for the tips on the reading - I managed to get through the year OK.

I manage to get through the first year with a "great" level, but the rest are awful. It's that tide thing you mentioned. :P

Of course, I never thought of educating the wife, always the children. I send them all to volunteer for education, instead of school.

Oh, man, this makes me want to play Oregon Trail. I spent a lot of time dying of cholera in that, too.

Oh noes! my oxen died!
fun game.. after a couple of bad tries where everyone ended up too sick to work I managed to end up with 'ok lives' for all of them, 'achieving some success despite their hardships'...

3 of my subjects survived.

-MANAX

Finally - I think my 20th try or so I made it to the end...

got lucky because good jobs available round 1

I ended up with 8 diplomas and $250 at the end. I had about $1200 - but sent everyone possible to private school the last couple rounds to try to get diplomas.

I finally got the hang of it, so for the last two years we were really quite well-off. It was really hard, though!

Managed to get to 10 diplomas and 3900 at the end...

fun and actually fairly challenging game (is it just me or is it actually impossible to ever buy the new house or the computer... well maybe not the computer but definatly the house... so expensive!!)

Meh, this is the only one of this stream of political games that has remotely compelling gameplay. Even this one, just barely. I support the liberal messages of these games but do the points have to be made so literally? And what are barely-playable games doing on this site which is usually devoted to playable ones?

Brian - they are here to spark comment and debate about the themes and topics presented within them. And judging by the responses received so far, I think we've achieved our goal. =)

Thank you for playing. ;)

I can't manage to get to the end with anything but "an ok life" for everyone - can someone post some tips? A fun game but I'm just not good enough at it...

RP - "an ok life" is the best I've managed too, with 10 diplomas, good living conditions, and pretty high health and happiness for all of them ...

Frankly, I can't see how to get to excellent living or buy a new house or anything without some massive streak of luck - the best success I've had is always

when the community center comes up quickly.

Valaruka - still better than me since I haven't managed to get a single diploma yet! It just seems that doing enough work to survive means that their health deteriorates far too quickly for me to repair, so the only way I can keep things going is by rotating people in and out of the clinic while just subsisting with no education. Maybe the point that they were aiming at but I know some people have done better...
I think this game would be more fun if you could keep playing beyond the four years.

hmm, well I see the message here. People are saying that the comminity center/library are the best way to go... How do u get that? by volenteering for UNICEF.
yea. so its possible to look at this wonderful game as entierly promotional.

Some more tips that I've found useful:
General:

Buy shoes right away, they keep health from going down so fast while working.

Try to buy books every season, don't bother with school (except vocational for one of the parents).

Notice there are buttons "Work Hard", "Take it Easy" and "Quit" for each family member when the season is in progress; use them.

If anyone becomes sick, don't ignore it - just go to the clinic.

Always fill all of the Volunteer job slots.

Don't have anyone be a Rum Distiller, the pay isn't worth the health loss.

Resting at home for a season doesn't improve health much, just keeps it from going down more - so if you're low go to the clinic.

Market Woman is a great job - decent pay and no health risk.

I get the message, poor people must work hard to survive and they can't get an education to get better jobs to afford a nice new home, right? This is why it is impossible to buy the new home, ever, it can't be done.

If you set your lifestyle to good and put everyone to work at the highest paying job possible, you can end the game with an 'ok life'. I almost had enough for the computer. Also, I bought the market space offered for $500, which earned me about $450 per season for the man. No one ever got an education though. But no one ever got sick or depressed either. I had the radio, toys, bike, bed, indoor plumbing. Always bought home remeady.

Fun, but I wish we could go for more than 4 years. At the rate I was going, the family would be rich in about 20 years. Which is normal for everyone. Guess that's why you can't go longer. The political message would have lost all it's meaning. So I guess you can't get rich quick after all, even in Africa. Everyone must work hard and sometimes suffer, duh, life is hard, duh. It's everyone's fault except my own, NOT.

If I may be allowed one more comment..

Ended this time with 11 diplomas and $2600. The woman had a doctor degree because I sent her to school twice! Buy School Books everytime and volunteer all available spots. This gets everyone an education up to Bachlorette and builds more buildings in the town.

After several desperate tries I got the hold on how to get an OK life.

Affected by self being an academic I always tried to get education up first, so you can get decent jobs etc.
But it wont work! The way to go is money! (as hard as it may sound)
And with the money buy stuff to get life good.

• 1st round: Buy shoes, books, radio and toys right away.
• Send everyone to work, if there is no slot free work at the family farm (no schools now, you get now an education level just for the books). (which is btw. a little unrealistic expecting them to be able to read, before ever going to school).
• Every round sent 1 family member as volunteer, so you can get the NGO extra's.
• Sent the womans (mum+doughter) to the market, good job for not too much health loss
• Don't use the rum destiller, the farmer-job is a good input also...
• Keep some money
• Always set the people to work/study hard... (buttons available during running season, is a bit cumbersome to always set them, esspecially since it will interrupt you with some news):
• Buy the market stand which is offered you! 420,- every month for either mom or dad, with not much health loss.
• Don't bother sending the kids to cheap schools, wait until you can affort them really good education, until that let them work.
• In storm season keep 150,- safe for securing your home, an unsecured house with a storm is an effective game stopper.
• Buy the Livestook soon, as it really improves your money income
• Buy the Plumbing & Bed soon to keep health well.
• Never let somebody work when he is ill, it will only get worse and more expensive, send everyone to the hospital immediatly.
• If health drops at 5 or below, sent the person to the hospital, you have enough money right? Not the clinic, the hospital will get him to 9 in one season and he can work/study really hard again!
• Don't bother letting people resting at home at start of a season sent them to hospital right away!
• If your money drops to 0 once it's almost over. You can only survive maybe 1 season when touching it. Don't forget to set the livestyle back to decent, if you manage to recover.
• If you have Plumbing + Bed + Livestook you can sent people to school, always pick the best available, depending on finance situation you can send 1 or 2 at once.
• I was never able to buy a computer or a house. Maybe if the game just went longer... but everyone had an OK live and was a bakkaleurat..

Had another good go; this time I went with working everyone instead of going to vocational school. Ended up pretty well: OK life for everyone, 7 diplomas, $1100ish cash, everyone at 8+ health and happiness, all the items except computer and new house, got the market stall and was profitable at excellent living conditions...

YEA! it took like 20 tries but i got.... drumroll... 10 degrees!
doesn't seem that great, but its a BIG improvement for me -- usually they all die in the 2nd season!

this is a hard game. is there anyone who finished the game pretty fast? if you can, please give me a few tips for the second year thx

Finally finished the game with an OK score, after about my 10th try.

I followed Grid's advice and it worked even better than the first time I played.

I ended up with 6 diplomas, 1619 goud, technical degrees for Jean and Marie, basic degrees for the three kids, and I even managed to keep Yves alive, even though he contracted all the diseases in the game in the span of two years. :) Probably not going to happen again, though.

Tip: Buy the plumbing as soon as you get 1000+ goud, it really DOES help. Even if you can't buy the books that quickly, buy the plumbing first. You can buy the books next time. :)

AMAZING! how did you do it? btw, can anyone explain why, even though everyone int he family is working, the money keeps on plummeting down?

On my best try I only got an ok life with 2 deplomas and 450$

Cath, the reason the money plumets is the lifestyle. That changes the plummet of health and happiness

Money goes down automatically each season based on the Cost of Life (hence the game title..) - you can see how much you'll need just to cover expenses in the window where you can select Poor/Decent/Good/Excellent living.
iirc, the costs were 420 / 560 / 840 / 1120 goud per season.
Hence, if you're making less per season than the type of living you've selected, money will be going down.
Selecting "Work Hard" for everyone usually gives a nice boost to income.

ok, hmm, can anyone give me some help? i can't get through the third year, well actually that was my best. only jean survived, and i had one diploma and i was like broke by - 450 and under

wow this is a lot harder than i thought, now i know what my parents feel like when it comes to tax time lol, i dont want to ask this but, i am eager to finish the game, is anyone willing to post a walkthrough? i have been trying this for over 15 times, PLEASE ahh

YAY! 4 Diplomas, all of the things to buy up to the plumbing, and $3783

I never had my people go to school once, and it payed off

Cath - walkthroughs aren't going to be much good, since the jobs available each season and quite a few other effects are randomized, so no two games will be the same.

Try following grid's technique posted above, it works pretty well.

9 diplomas, 3226 goud.

here's my secret

i started out with a good living condition, and never sent anyone to school. i had them do volunteer work which will REALLY pay off. --> i did this alternately with marie, yves, jacqueline and patrick. jean earned diplomas via the stall owner thing. i send them to the hospital even with a lil cold. i upped their living condition the moment i got 1500+ goud. then when it reached 2000goud, i upped it again. and again. and again. ;-)

here is my proof:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b388/calvin0176/Picture2.png

I managed to end with 7-9 diplomas, $1000+, about 4 times so far (about half the games I played). Most of the advice found above is good, except that in my experience, you should only buy the books on turn 1 - the books have immediate effect, so you can test if they do anything, and other than on turn 1 they rarely ever do anything.

How successful you'll be really depends a lot on luck, which I guess is also part of the message of the game. It doesn't matter how much you prioritize education and health if there aren't enough jobs available out there for your family to eat.

Eytan Zweig, the books have an invisible effect, I found. I got several diplomas even when the education level was too low to have earned them properly.

And woah, apparently the trick really is to start off with Good Living. And then if you put everyone to work and buy books every season, you can get enough of a head start to be living a life of leisure by the second year.

Oh, and three of my family members had a great life with that strategy because I started sending them to school once I was living a fairly good life.

Gosh. I can buy the computer but I can never save enough to get that new house. Has anyone been successful?

Oh and if you have them start off with Good Living, you can have the adults do that awful Rum Distiller job without losing much, if any, health.

Yup, starting off with Good Living is the way to go .. managed to improve my results, ended up with 4 oks and a great life for the kid; had two of the kids educated to the max (Baccalaureate II) and the third was almost there.
Still haven't managed a new home(impossible?) or computer, though I could've gotten the comp this time if I hadn't sent all three kids to school in the last year or two, with mom and dad working the stall and secretary jobs to cover expenses..
It'd be fun to be able to continue playing after four years ..

I really like this game and after several attempts I managed to get 11 Diplomas and everyone alive and quite happy.

However, after working hard to get Jean up to the maximum level of education, the only jobs available were for Rum Distillers! Oh well!

Hmm... I survived 227 rounds on that 3rd world Farmer thing. Cost of life... It takes still some more tries. My people started to die on the 4th year. Got too depressed. Xd Need to figure it out. XD;;

It seems like the new house and computer are both there to taunt you, to illustrate how far out of reach they are. You can maybe clear 1000 Goud per season, assuming you live like crap and everyone takes the best possible jobs, so the new house is firmly out of reach, but the computer might be possible.

Living the good life from the start seems to be key, and I'll try keeping around a 500 Goud pad to get the stall open early.

--GF

is there some way to avoid the chloera? I tried following the advice of starting out with a good living but i already started getting in debt in the second round.

Woo! Finally got them to Year 3, and kept them happy for the majority of the time. Until everyone but the mom died in Summer ;_;

OMG! I FINALLY WON!!!!!! Yes! I ended up with 6 diplomas and over 2500 gould, Grid's advice totally works! I am soo HAPPY! :)

after 357 atemps i've got a ok life for everbody, but with the tips i've got a great life fot 2 kids, 9 diplomas the computer and 1000+ cash! thanks guys!

Insane...I have no talent for this type of game. Following all the best stratagies, the family all fell under 5health in the second year. The livestock didn't help much. I have no idea how to get the market stand. Luckily, once I even got a community center and a library! Then everybody died...
Any tips for this situation?

I know how you feel kevin, I was confused.

get the father to work at the partime farm job and not YOUR OWN FARM, because I tried that before and it didn't help because the livestock didn't have much to do with it.

make sure you follow Grid's tips, buy your radio, new shoes, books and toys right away. i found this helped a lot. Also, make sure the mother and daughter do those market woman jobs no matter what.

a good tip for Yves: he's a small boy but always try to put him at the volunteer place with the father. if you can't, as soon as you buy livestock, make him work at the farm(remember not your own)

get him to help out at the farm all the time, as time passes by, the family will each start to progress in their education and money. soon, he will get a new job as a mechanic which really really helps.

Tried it again, did a little better in the education department this time.

9 diplomas, 640 goud. Jean had a technical degree, the other four had up to their baccalauret. All the kids struggled with health, but for some reason it says the parents' lives were worse. Weird...

10 diplomas, 3000+ goud at the end of the game, and I got the computer to kick off year 4.

I may have just been a little lucky this go-round, grabbing the market stall early, but these were the secrets to my success:

Always buy books. Always.

First season - decent living, buy books and shoes, send the dad to vo-tech and study hard, everyone else brings in the goud. Dad can now work as a mechanic.

After that - good living, buy a bicycle as possible to open up the construction worker.

Give Marie and Patrick some volunteer time so they can take secretary and assistant mechanic jobs if they're available.

Upgrade upgrade upgrade. With the bed and plumbing (and maybe the health center built?) you can go back down to decent living and still see no health loss.

Going to try holding off on the chicken until I get the plumbing next round. No time spent in school or at the hospital, just sheer hard work.

--GF

YIPPEE!!
I survived the 2nd and almost the 3rd year! I bought
bed, plumbing, decent living, livestock, all that good stuff...Then the whole family got a cold on the same season...The everybody got cholora in one season...And by then I had negative 750 money...In one season they all died.
WHOOPS!!

Although both of the parents into graduate study, they both only had OK lives. Weird.

Oh wow, I just successfuly completed the game for the first time. The biggest difference with the winning game and my not-so-great ones was that when a family member was sick, the hospital was the immediate place to go. I also found the bed, though a big investment at the beginning, is an important choice.

Finally! I got Patrick and Yves a great life, the parents a good life and the little girl an ok life... don't know what her problem was.

Try to stay on Good Life as much as you can.

Never send them to rest, just ignore it until the next turn, then send them to the clinic for disease treatment.

Volunteering is key as it opens up health and career opportunities.

Buy books every turn.

Oh, and for God's sake, stay away from that cursed rum distillery.

Some luck plays a big part too, as family members kept sending me money, libraries kept having book readings and health seminars were constant (Build the health building before the soccer field).

I have to say, I think this is the most addicted I've been to a game for a long while. I keep playing it over and over and over. My only real complaint (other than the crashing) is more of a compliment: I want more! I wish it'd last longer than just four years so I could have a chance to give the family the house etc.
Then again, as has also been pointed out that'd defeat part of the lesson behind the game. The house is supposed to be impossible to reach. :/

Best was 12 diplomas, still trying to get all 15.

You need good jobs from the beginning, and try to get your buildings up early. Hitting a market stall early in the first year will help you tremendously because it guarantees you an awesome job every season. Start off with the shoes and books.

Another go, went for computer, didn't really seem to see effects besides getting a +1 education to everyone.

Bwahaha! I pwn you all! lol
10 diplomas, 1921 goud, everything before and including plumbing, and a child genius. Beat that. :D
Proof: http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3310/screenshotoj9.png
How to become super cool:
(This is my first walkthrough btw :D)

Despite what everyone says, education is very important

Buy new shoes, radio, toys, and books at the very begining

Put Marie in education as often as possible, but stop until she has enough to become a secretary

Jean and Yves should go to volunteering until you buy a bike

Remember to keep buying books every season

Put people immediately into the hospital if they complain of feeling ill or if their health is below 5

I never bought plumbing or livestock till the last season, I tried to save up for a computer. (only had 500 more to go) So to get a computer, don't try to get a child genius. :D

What else is there to say...? Uhm...it's pretty straightforward, you can figure everything else out by yourself. (Gives you a better sense of accomplishment anyways) :P

Oh ya, one last thing, I forgot to set living quality to excellent at the end, remember to do that. (Or you can just do it at the last year, if you don't want a computer) :D

omg I have 10 diplomas !!!
i cant put it on but i have 10 diplomas and 1446 gourds
I love this game and I have only played it 2 times

I've managed 13 diplomas with incredible luck, and it'd really take some amazing circumstances to get the full 15. But here are the unintended lessons of the game:

Education is overrated. Sure it's how people "keep score" but very few of the higher degrees have any real purpose (professor is a pipe dream, and you need 1 diploma to open secretary, and none for mechanic or assistant.)

Vo-tech and field experience are just as good as formal education.

The S. Vimes "Boots" theory is in full effect - to wit, "rich" people spend less money than "poor" people and end up better off, because of the way their equity lets them live. You can drop 1500 Goud on a bed and plumbing, or bump your life up to Good, but at the end of 5 seasons the guy with the bed and plumbing will have made his money back and be even healthier.

A rising tide lifts all boats - if you improve the community, you don't have to work as hard improving yourself.

--GF

woooooooh!

5th time i have played and i got 10 diplomas, 2 great lives, 2 good lives, 1 okay life and 2905 and there all had max happiness and health.

I ended with a pretty good ending, the father had an ok life,the mother had a good life, and the rest had a great life. Ended up with 9 diplomas and 1868g at the end.

The mechanic, mechanic assistant, and securtary are great for money and health.

Has anyone else found that switching to "work hard" makes you accidently click on the wrong things? I was doing great, but mistakenly chose not to board up the house during hurricane season.

I think I did really well:

I ended with 9 diplomas, owned everything but the PC and house, and had only 280 goud.
Jean had a ok life, eking out some success. He struggled with poor health, but went back to school to earn a Baccalauret degree. He worked most often as a mechanic. The future is bright and limitless, and a stable life is finally a real possibility.
Marie had a ok life, eking out some success. She stayed healthy, but found a little time to earn a technical degree. She worked most often as a stall owner. The future is bright and limitless, and a stable life is finally a real possibility.
Patrick had a ok life, managing to achieve some success desipte the family's hardships. He struggled with poor health, but worked hard at school and qualified for the Baccalaureat I. This paves the way for higher education, a professional life, and a rewarding and much-improved future.
Jacquline had a ok life, managing to achieve some success desipte the family's hardships. She struggled with poor health, but worked hard at school and qualified for the Baccalaureat I. This paves the way for higher education, a professional life, and a rewarding and much-improved future.
Yves had a tough life, with nothing more than bare necessities. He struggled with poor health, but worked hard at school and qualified for the Baccalaureat I. This paves the way for higher education, a professional life, and a rewarding and much-improved future.

9 diplomas, all ok lives, $1037 at the end.
Here are my tips, even though i picked up a lot on this site:
To reenforce what others have said:

Buy bike asap to open up job of constuction worker.
Always switch to "good living" or better if possible.
Board up the house in hurricane season.
Always buy the market stall.
Buy books every time, it DOES help.
First round, buy books, shoes, and toys. That way they start off really happy.
Treat sicknesses the very next round, even if its just "sick". However, don't stop mid-season to have someone rest at home for a small sickness. DO send them directly to the hospital for chlorea, Dipthereia, etc.

The community center isn't that immportant, you dont always need to work on it, as long as you buy the books. at least in my oppinion. work on it if you have a spare person, but not otherwise.

Spend the entire 1st year working, accept for the last round. On the last round, clinic everyone who needs it and school everyone who you can afford to, but keep one person working in a well-paying job, market woman or better. For the next years, switch off working-season and school/health season, as described above, as long as you can afford it.
Buy livestork asap, it gives you $200 every round.
Make Yves go to school the most, since he can't work very much. My last Yves had a Baccaloreat II.
Voccational school (for the parents) is only offered in the Rainy Season, so be sure that you don't procrastinate on their education.
4 education pts are needed for a certificate, 6 for a baccaloreat 1, and 9 for a bacccaloreat II, so if you notice that some one has 5 pts at the end of the game, send them to school!

14 diplomas, 2 good lifes, 13 great lifes, 1423goud. :)
no computer, no new house and no stall :(
Never visited clinic/hospital noone got sick :D
My best so far!

long time player..just just posting a comment now...doesn anyone else find this game really depressing? everyone dies of cholerah and the underlying message seems to be that those in the poverty class are hopeless. i may be taking this game too seriously but its kinda scary

@ex.infernis: Not at all true. I've had a few very successful families. I think the underlying message is that educated people can always get ahead. Read some of the walkthroughs and you should be able to cure your depression.

YEAHHHH! Made 13 diplomas and 4 great lifes!!
Got 10 000+, and computer when finished!!!!!!

Won the game with 2,934 goud, 8 diploma's, two kids with super education. OH YAH!!

This is how I did it well:

First: buy shoes and home remedy. Home remedy every season.

One of the grown-ups have to be a voulenteer every time. Never let them be a rum destiller.

Don't care about education. You can get that through free library nights if you work as a volunteer.

When the community center, the library, the health information office and the soccer field is done, you can stop being a volenteer.

If they have got 3 of lower health; send them to the hospital

Don't buy the radio or toys, there is no point. Instead, buy the bed when you can, and after that, the lifestock.

I believe a computer would be possible, if you strategized a bit. I was able to win my last game with 7 diplomas and about 4,000 goud. Almost enough to buy a computer. (I had 4,000 goud throughout the entire third and fourth years, it just never increased. )

nice rant but what you are decribeing is a POSITIVE feedback loop not negative, positive feeback reenforces it'self, negative cancles out it's self, if it goes spirealing out of control it's positive

I own! did you know I got through with 14 diplomas (no school for Jean) and 3451 goud?

I got the computer and didnt even get the market stall!

my tip is to get 2 as volunteer, don't care about education. You can get that through free library nights if you work as a volunteer, I got full happiness all the time, excellent living all the time..

And I also wonder.. why does

Yves only get to be a volunteer? Hes practically useless and he'll get education only.. which makes him a child genius with no use o.O

This game has an outstanding realization that even though you can't get by with what you need, if you have the perserverance to journey towards education and hard work, you can always find a better life right around the corner.

But still,I STINK AT THIS GAME!

I've gotten the louziest jobs at the times I really need them,via.

For instance:

When I take Jean to the work place, all I find are Rum distiller, Professor, and Mechanic!

When I get Jean and the others educated or get th library and books, all the jobs that were listed before were replaced with Farm Hand, Rum Distiller,(Yes, the dreaded Rum Distiller)and Volunteer! I mean, C'mon!

Can anyone help me with this problem, because the best life I've gotten was 1500 goud, 5 degrees,(all mechanic, mind you) and all ok lives.

The jobs on offer are random. This is the risk you take working for other people! It's better to work for yourself.

How?

Well...

If you bought livestock, your farm would turn out better.

Buying the chicken seems to drop about 150 Goud in at the start of the month, whether anybody works the farm or not.

The market stall is a 420 Goud job that Mom and Dad can work at every month, but you need to have 500 Goud at the start of a month to even have a chance at unlocking it.

--GF

I tried this game 3 times the first time my guys died in the first 2 seasons. 2 time I lived with degress and in debt with most my people in healths with 0. 3 time I had 1147 Goud and 5 deplomys I thought it was okay. Some thing I did for it was :

1.Buy shoes, than once you can afford it buy a bike to work in construction, than buy plumbing it really helps your health, than buy livestock and increase health living, than get a bed, and than keep buying everything else except for computer and newhouse. You need 3 education for Mecanic and 4 for assistant. *Sorry first time posting if I got it wrong*

I haven't played this game for ages, so when i played i thought oh i'll do absolutely rubbish, but acctualy i got 8 diploma's, excellent living, 1110+ money and got everything minus the house and uniforms. After a troublesome first year they all stayed in excellent health -8 or 9, although the male adult did have 7 at one point, and i realised the reason behind the game.

I love games like these-I just wish it went longer!
I was about one hundred dollars away from buying a computer...They really should make a sequel to this, even if it's intention was just to raise awareness rather than just a casual game.

I HATE THE FACT THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE HOUSE!!! i know i could get it if i only had more time. it takes like 2 1/2 season just to get the computer...it really does pump up the education of all the family real quick...faster than the school...but if i only had more time. maybe like 8 years i know i could get that dang house :|

are there any other games like this?

I got 9 diplomas and 4394 :D someone beat that ?

My best is 8 diplomas and 5574 Goud. It was hard! lol

my ALMOST successful strategy:
set their living standard on poor
assign everyone as much work in high paying fields as possible
don't EVER volunteer it's a waste of time and you don't profit
put everyone to work
avoid school and focus on making money and keeping you family healthy...somehow.
this is the part where it starts to get rocky. Litteraly in one years time, I went from having $1000+ to being completely broke and having 3 family members die all at once. Interesting game. Now of course I have to conquere it. :D

my results
Jean had a rough life, making ends meet, but only barely. He stayed healthy, but found a little time to earn a technical degree. He worked most often as a rum distiller. The achievements of the last four years promise a slightly easier future.
Marie had a rough life, making ends meet, but only barely. She struggled with poor health, but went back to school to earn a Baccalauret degree. She worked most often as a secretary. The achievements of the last four years promise a slightly easier future.
Patrick had a tough life, with nothing more than bare necessities. He struggled with poor health, but worked hard at school and qualified for the Baccalaureat I. There's no choice put to move into the footsteps the parents have left.
Jacquline had a ok life, managing to achieve some success desipte the family's hardships. She stayed relatively healthy, but did enough study to earn a basic Certificate. A good well-paying job is a likely future.
Yves had a ok life, managing to achieve some success desipte the family's hardships. He struggled with poor health, and did enough study to earn a basic Certificate. A good well-paying job is a likely future
7 diplomas
2031 Goud
I actualy followed only SOME of my own rules and some of other peoples
key things

Don't ignore ilnesses
make sure they have high a paying job
make sad people volunteer
out of the sick population cure the ones with the best health with the most expensive treatment
don't buy anything other: than shoes, a bike, (only once) and books and remedy (every turn)
likewise don't bother with school for the kids they'll learn from the books
Make the mom go to school so she can earn the highest paying job- which for some reason is not available for the dad.
make the youngest child work on the farm when his happyness is all the way up and someone else's is low; make that person with the low happiness volunteer.(if the opportunity is available.)
Save money, decline the offer to open up a market stall, don't buy chickens either, though it claims to bring profit it doesn't seem to do the trick as well as working high paying jobs and saving.

Yay! I finished the game! But I didn't get any diplomas no matter how hard I tried! Can somebody pls help me?

Yay i got 9 diplomas and 550 groud

Wow, a year later and I still play this game.

Here is my strategy (which works, by the way!)

First I send both parents to school, if both kids can get jobs and the youngest either works on the farm or volunteers. Buy medicine and books, change to poor living (just this once!). Now, the dad can work as a mechanic whenever that is available. The mom I send to school when it's available until she reaches 4 education points. Then, she can work as a secretary. Always always always have the youngest do volunteer work when it's available. If you receive the option to buy the stall... BUY IT. It costs 500 g, but you ALWAYS have a job that pays 420 g. Also, everyone works/studies hard. If someone gets sick (which shouldn't happen because after the first season you should choose Good Living), have them Take it Easy and if they only have 1 or 2 health points left, send them to the clinic (the cheapest option) at the beginning of the next season. If good luck is in the cards, you'll get the Stall option early, along with the community center, library, and then health center (health center is the big bonus -- after you get it, you can go back to Decent Living). Also good luck is the field extension -- it's free and supposedly lowers the cost of living for the family ("supposedly" because it's nothing that I've bothered tracking extensively). I also don't know that the chickens are worth the 700 g. Oh.. and it's not terribly important to get the older boy's education up, because you can buy the bike and he can do construction, except when the mechanical asst. is available and construction is not -- so if the opportunity arises for him to go to school instead of work (e.g. there is no work available for him), you might want to go ahead and let him, so he can do the mech. asst. when possible. Also, this way he and the father can switch off, since I think the construction is harder on the health than the mech. job.

Using my method, I've been able to buy the computer... but only in the 4th year -- anyone have better luck? It seems to really help with education..

omg i got through with 7 diplomas and 2304 goud...has anyone got a computer? is like immpossible!!

YAY! i got a computer at last! it made all of the family get top education! so in the end i got 15 dipomas and ended with -353 goud because i forgot to send them to work in the excitement of geting a computer!

i'm very proud to say that i've got 15 diplomas with 1340 goud. Both parents had good lives and the kids had great lives.

- Send the father for vocational as in 1 round he'd become a mechanic. - Next, send the son for school for 3 rounds and he become a mechanical asistant. - Next, the mom for school so she can be a secretary. - Work the daughter and let the smallest volunteer constantly. - Always buy books. Uniforms are great for public schools. Remedy is a must as well. - If you're lucky, the community center sets up really fast.

Hence, luck matters.

Is there a way to keep playing past the 4 year mark? This is the first time I've survived.

Hurray! A good life, after several dozen times!

Sent the wife to technical school every chance, rather than the kids. The parents and the older son can benefit from the education, but not the younger two. Also, buy livestock ASAP, and interior plumbing before bed, radio, or toys. These two affect health (or so it seems), so they're much more important.

Marie had a good life, excelling in the harsh setting. She managed to stay in terrific shape, and went back to school to earn a Baccalauret degree. She worked most often as a volunteer. The future is bright and limitless, and a stable life is finally a real possibility.

Wow, getting the market stall really does help. I got it early on in the game and ended with everyone having an ok life, 5 diplomas, and I had a computer and indoor plumbing. :) It's tough to figure out a good strategy but once you have one it's quite fun!

I got the computer...

Really good..

at start of 3rd season I had computer already..7 diplomas 4000 at the end..
dont believe, then dont..

i only got ok when i never got into debt it was an out rage!!!

Everyone died in the first year when i played it
i at the end i had -£1988 (oh no!) here what not to do:

Work when you are ill
spend money on things you dont need
Always have at least £60 in your bank

meme

I still play this game well over a year after its initial release. I dream that one day I will get that house!

My best to date: all 15 diplomas, everything purchased apart from the bike and the house, with the computer bought halfway through season 3. The family lived on a decent living until the start of season 4, when they turned to a good living.

The best strategy I've found is: father in school for first turn or so in order to become a mechanic, then the eldest son for two turns in order to become a mechanic's assistant, then the mother for a couple of turns in order to become a secretary. Keep the youngest son as a volunteer until the projects are completed, and the daughter working as a market woman or farm hand. Once that's done, the two youngest kids can start going to school each turn.

Buy books every turn and the remedy as well once you can afford it.

Just my two cents.